Umbrella-support.



Patented Aug. 16, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

atto'awup A. E. S HUSTEB.

UMBRELLA SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.1-7| 1909. 967,253.

A. E. SHUSTER.

UMBRELLA SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 17, 1909.

967,253. Patented Aug. 16,1910.

2 SHIRE-SHEET 2- mllfwif/f Wilinoaaao ANSON E. SI-IUSTER, OF NORTH BEND,OREGON.

UMBRELLA-SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented A11 16, 1910.

Application filed September 17, 1909. Serial No. 518,260.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANsoN E. SHUsTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at North Bend, in the county of Coos and State ofOregon, haveinvented a new and useful Umbrella-Support, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to umbrella supports of that type designed to befastened to the body of the user so as to hold an umbrella in positionto protect the user.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a light and durablesupport of this character which can be readily secured in place andwhich is adjustable to persons of different sizes.

Another object is to provide simple means for connecting the staff ofthe umbrella to this support, said connecting means being shiftable soas to hold the staff at any desired angle.

A further object is to provide simple and efficient means for engagingthe staff and which can be readily manipulated so as to release saidstafi when it is desired to remove the umbrella from the support.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter morefully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention hasbeen shown.

In said drawings :Figure 1 is a perspective view of the completesupport, a portion of an umbrella staff being shown in dotted lines.Fig. 2 is an enlarged View, partly in section and partly in sideelevation, of the slidable member of the support. Fig. 8 is an enlargedtransverse section through the staff engaging portion of said member,said section being taken on the line 05-?) of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is aperspective view of the fixed mem ber of the staff engaging clip.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, 1 designates a wireframe preferably formed of spring metal bent to form an elongated head 2which is bowed transversely so as to conform substantially to thecontour of the chest, and has loops 3 up standing therefrom, there beingadditional loops 4 adjacent the lower end of the frame. The loops 3 aredesigned to be engaged by tabs 5 arranged at the free ends of straps 6,said tabs being provided with fasteners,

such, for example, as snap fasteners, whereby they can be readilysecured in engagement with the loops 3. The straps 6 are designed toextend over the shoulders of the wearer and they converge at the back toform a centrally disposed longitudinally extending strap 7. This lastmentioned strap is secured at its lower end to crossed holding straps 8,each of which has a tab 9 at its lower end similar to the tabs 5, andprovided with a snap fastener 10, each of said tabs being designed toengage one of the loops 4. Loops 11, similar to the loops 3 and 4,extend beyond the sides of the head 2 and are designed to be detachablyengaged by tabs 12 formed at the upper ends of the straps 8, and alsoprovided with snap fastenors. It will be apparent that by providing thisarrangement of straps, the frame 1 can be placed in front of the bodyand the shoulder straps 6 attached to the loops 3. The crossed straps 8can then be attached to the loops 4 and 11 in the manner hereinbeforedescribed and, by providing buckles 13 in the respective straps, thesame can be adjusted so as to hold the frame 1 firmly upon the body.

Secured to the head 2 in any preferred manner are parallel guide rods14, preferably formed in a single piece of spring wire bent into anelongated loop, the opposite longitudinal sides of which are parallel.These sides, which constitute the rods 14 heretofore referred to,constitute guides for the sliding member of the support. This slidingmember consists of a block 15 having a downwardly extended hookedportion 16 on one face thereof, and designed to en gage the lower rod14. The longitudinal slot 17 is formed within the block, and mountedwithin the slot is a sliding jaw 18 provided with an upwardly extendinghook 19 which is normally held in engagement with the upper rod 14 bymeans of a spring 20. This spring is mounted on a guide pin 21 extendinglongitudinally within the slot 17 and on which the aw 18 is movablymounted. A finger 22 extends from the jaw 18 and beyond the front faceof the block 15, and by means thereof said jaw can be convenientlypushed downward against the stress of spring 20, so as to disengage thehook 19 from the upper rod 14, and thus free the slide 15 from the twoguide rods 14.

An arm 23 extends forward from the slide 15 and has a head 24 at itsfree end within which is formed a substantially semispherical socket 25.A recess 26 is formed in the head 24 and opens into the socket 25, andthis recess has a plug 27 of rubber or the like, seated therein andnormally bearing against a ball 28, which is mounted for movement withinthe socket 25. The ball is retained in the socket by means of a ring 29having an internally screw-threaded annular flange 30 which engagesexterior threads formed upon the head 24. Obviously by turning this ringin one direction, the same can be caused to bind upon the ball 28 andforce it tightly against the plug 27, and the Wall of the socket 25.

A recess 31 is formed within the ball 28 and receives the reduced end 32of a stem 33. This stem is secured within the ball by means of atransversely extending pin 34. Stem 33 has a head 35 at its free end andon which is riveted or otherwise fastened the fixed member 36 of thestaff engaging clip of the support. This member is preferably formed ofheavy spring metal, the same being arched transversely and reduced inwidth at its ends, as shown at 37, there being oppositely disposedarcuate spring arms 38 extending from each of these reduced ends, eacharm' being provided with a cushion 39 of rubber or the like. Eachcushion is preferably formed of a piece of rubber tubing which isslipped on to the arm. Lugs or ears 40 extend from the fixed member 36and are disposed above and below the stem 33, these cars receiving theends of a pintle 41 extending through the stem 33. The pintle is, also,pivotally engaged adjacent its ends by ears 42 formed adjacent the endsof themovable member 43 of the staff engaging clip, this movable memberbeing bowed transversely and provided at its free edge with a tongue 44having a stud 45 projeeting therefrom, and designed to be seated withinany one of a series of apertures 46 formed within the member 36. The twomembers 36 and 43 are so shaped that when they are brought together theyform a substantially cylindrical body designed to fit snugly around thestaff of an umbrella, it being obvious that, in view of the fact thatboth of the members are formed of spring metal, the diameter of thiscylindrical gripping body can be varied by contracting the parts to agreater or less extent. Reversely coiled springs 47 are mounted on thepintle 41 above and below the stem 33, the inner or adjoining ends ofthese springs being inserted in an opening 48 formed within the stem,while the outer ends thereof bear against the ears 42 of the movablemember 43 so as to hold the said members normally in closed position.

In'using the device herein described, the frame 1 is first fastened tothe front of the body in the manner hereinbefore described. The member43 is then swung open against the stress of springs 47 and the staff ofthe umbrella is inserted into the arcuate fixed member 36. By thenreleasing the member 43, the springs 47 return it to closed position andthe stud 45 will be automatically seated in one of the openings 46. Bythen compressing the membe'r's 36 and 43 about the staff the same can becaused to bind firmly upon said staff, it being apparent that the stud45 will be shifted so as to engage another opening 46 should the staffengaging members be contracted to a sufiicient extent. The cushions 39will, of course, frictionally engage the staff and prevent it fromslipping longitudinally within the holder, should the members 36 and 43fail to grip the said staff with sufficient firmness. After the staffhas been attached to the support in the manner described, the slide 15can be shifted along the bowed rods 14, this being permitted by pressingdownward on the fin er 22 and thus removing the hook 19 out offrictional engagement with the upper rod 14. After the slide has beenbrought to a desired position the finger 22 can be released and spring20 will, therefore, automatically return the jaw 18 to its initialposition and force the hook 19 against the upper rod 14 with sufiieientpressure to hold the slide against further movement. By providing theball and socket joint indicated at 24 and 28, the stem 33 can be shiftedto any desired angle with relation to the arm 23.

Obviously, by providing a support such as herein described, an umbrellacan be held at any desired angle to the ground and the same does not inany wise hamper the movements of the person carrying the device. Variousadjustments of the staff holding members can be readily effected, thepressure of the plug 27 against the ball 28 being sufiicient to hold thestem 33 firmly in any position to which it may be shifted.

Various changes can, of course, be made in the construction andarrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

WVhat is claimed is 1. A device of the class described including a bowedguide element, means for attaching the same to the body of a person, aslide mounted upon said element, spring controlled means for holding theslide against movement upon said element, and an umbrella engagingstructure movable with the slide.

2. A device of the class described including a bowed guide element,means for securing the same to the body of a person, a slide mountedupon said element, spring controlled means carried by the slide forengaging the element to hold the slide against movement, an umbrellaengaging structure, and a ball and socket connectlon between saidstructure and the slide.

3. A device of the class described including a frame shaped to conformto the body of a person, a bowed guide element carried by the frame,means for attaching the frame to the body of a person, a slide removablymounted upon the guide element, spring controlled means for guiding theslide upon the frame and for engaging the frame to hold the slideagainst movement, and an umbrella engaging structure movable with theslide.

4. A device of the class described including a frame shaped to conformto the contour of the body of a person, parallel bowed guide elementsupon the frame, means for detachably securing the frame to the body of aperson, a slide interposed between and movably engaging the guideelements, spring controlled means earned by the slide for lirmlyengaging one of the guide elements to hold the slide against movement,and an umbrella structure movable with the slide.

5. A device of the class described including a frame shaped to conformto the body of a person, means for detachably securing the frame to thebody, parallel upwardly and backwardly bowed guide rods carried by theframe, a slide interposed between and movably engaging the rods, springcontrolled means carried by the slide for frictionally engaging one ofthe rods to hold the slide against movement upon the rods, and anumbrella engaging structure movable with the slide.

6. A device of the class described including a frame shaped to conformto the body of a person, means for detachably securing the frame to thebody, parallel bowed uide rods on the frame, a slide interposed betweenand movably engaging the rods, spring controlled means carried by theslide for frictionally engaging one of the rods to hold the slideagainst movement, an umbrella engaging structure, a ball and socketconnection between such structure and the slide, and a friction devicecombined with said connection.

7. A device of the class described i11cluding parallel guide rods, aslide interposed between and movably engaging the rods, a springcontrolled member movably mounted within the slide, a hook extendingtherefrom and normally engaging one of the rods to hold the slideagainst displacement, a finger extending from said member, and anumbrella engaging structure movable with the slide.

8. A device of the class described including a guide, a slide thereon,an arm extending from the slide and having a socket, there being arecess opening into the socket, a friction plug within said recess, aball mounted for movement between the socket and contacting with theplug, an umbrella engaging structure movable with the ball, and meansfor holding the ball in the socket and against the plug.

9. A device of the class described including an adjustably supportedsocket member, a friction plug mounted within said member, a ballmovably mounted within the socket member and adjustably engaging saidmember for binding the ball upon the friction plug, and an umbrellaengaging structure movable with the ball.

10. In a device of the class described, an umbrella staff engagingstructure including a stem, a transversely bowed resilient memberfixedly connected to the stem, oppositely bowed arms extending from theends of said member, a cushion upon each of said arms, a springcontrolled hinged member, and separate cooperating means upon themembers for locking them against separation.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afliXedmy slgnature in the presence of two witnesses.

ANSON E. SI-IUSTER.

Witnesses:

O. S. WINSOR, E. H. J ONES.

